KUALA LUMPUR: It would be a healthy year for the construction industry as projects awarded under the RM60 billion second stimulus package are expected to start in the next two quarters.

THE BUZZ

The Prime Ministers of Malaysia and Singapore have proposed the joint development of a rapid transit link between Tanjung Puteri, Johor Bahru and Singapore. It will be integrated
with public transport services in both Johor Bahru and Singapore and is expected to be operational by 2018.

HONG KONG: Sands China, the Macau unit of US casino operator Las Vegas Sands has awarded contracts worth more than 1 billion patacas (US$120 million) to Macau contractors for its planned mega-resort on Macau's Cotai Strip, saying construction of the troubled project has resumed.

WASHINGTON: Sales of previously owned US homes rose more than expected in April to a five-month high as buyers rushed to close contracts before the expiry of a homebuyer tax credit.

KUALA LUMPUR: The 20-year-old hot-button topic between Malaysia and Singapore over parcels of railway land in Woodlands, Kranji and Bukit Timah in the city-state has been resolved.

KUALA LUMPUR: Asia Pacific Land Bhd (AP Land) posted revenue of RM15.6 million and loss before tax of RM3.3 million in 1Q2010, compared with revenue of RM46 million and loss of RM2.08 million in 4Q2009.

KUALA LUMPUR: SEB Investment GmbH (SEB) is looking into investing between €150 million and €300 million (RM615 million and RM1.23 billion) per year in Asia over the next three to five years.

SINGAPORE: Iskandar Malaysia will parcel out about 200ha of land for the proposed joint iconic wellness township project between Malaysia and Singapore.

Malaysia's Khazanah Nasional Bhd and Singapore's Temasek Holding Ltd will form a 50:50 joint-venture company to undertake the development of the project with the participation of private sectors from both countries.

SINGAPORE: Standard & Poor's Ratings Services had assigned its 'BBB-' issue rating to the S$2 billion (RM4.72 billion) multi-currency medium-term notes program (MTN) of Starhill Global REIT MTN Pte Ltd, a unit of HSBC Institutional Trust Services (Singapore) Ltd. (HSBCIT).

KUALA LUMPUR: Gerakan has urged the government to extend open tender to all government projects to increase revenue and increase transparency.